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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

AFRICAN CSOs DEMAND FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREEMENTS

Civil
society groups across Africa demanded that developed countries fulfil
and implement their commitments under the UN climate convention, in
order to fairly share a necessary 'emissions budget', and avoid
catastrophic climate change.

At
a press conference held immediately after the opening session of the
19th session of the UN Warsaw Climate Conference, the group said that
Africa is in the frontline for climate change impacts.

"We
watch with horror what has happened in the Philippines, and know that
it is happening in our homes too." Mithika Mwenda, the Secretary General
of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), said.

"I
don't know how rich countries can ignore the facts being screamed by
mother nature, nor the cries being made by the world's poor - the time
has come to cut climate changing causing emissions and to cut them
deep," Mwende said .

"Africans
expect our governments to stand firm on setting an emissions budget, as
recommended by the IPCC. They must then share this budget fairly, based
on historical responsibility and capacities." Said Dr. Habtemariam
Abate, from Ethiopian Civil Society Network on Climate Change.

"These
negotiations are about the emissions budget, whether governments admit
it or not, they either negotiate to share that budget fairly, or they
plan to exceed it," Dr Abate added.

"African
civil society has strong and clear proposals for how to deliver energy
to those who do not have it whilst avoiding the trap of dirty fossil
fuels and therefore allowing us to live within the emissions budget.
Proposals include a globally funded feed in tariff - we expect such a
measure to be adopted here in Warsaw," Azeb Girmai, from LDC Watch,
said.

"Warsaw
can be the moment the world chooses clean over dirty energy and Africa
will be leading in that choice," Girmai, said. "African
people need an international mechanism to address loss and damage from
climate change. That's the reality. We see it everyday. Perhaps the rich
only see it on television - well they need to turn it on, watch it,
learn, and then take responsibility for the suffering their emissions
have caused." Robert Chimambo, from Zambia Climate Change Network, said.

"The
best agreement on Earth won't make a difference without implementation
in the real world. That's why a clear outcome in Warsaw must be
drastically scaled up climate finance and technology transfer. Only if
those commitments are met can African governments really believe that
the rich world plans to act in good faith on any future agreement." Said
Agnes Banda from Malawi, one of the most vulnerable countries.

The
Pan African Climate Justice Alliance released several briefs outlining
their analysis, shared with other civil society observers, on the issues
of:

A
continental coalition of Civil Society Organizations from diverse
backgrounds in Africa, the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance has
emerged as the most vibrant and largest Civil Society platform on
climate change and sustainable development. With a membership of more
than 500 organizations and networks, the Alliance brings together
Faith-based Organizations, Farmers and Pastoralists` Groups,
Community-based organizations, Non-Governmental organizations, Trusts,
Foundations, among other sectors with a common goal of promoting and
advocating for Pro-poor, climate-friendly and equity-based responses to
climate change.